Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Yitzhak Sapir <yitzhaksapir AT gmail.com>]

On 8/20/05, Read, James C wrote:

> Hi Yitzhak,
>  
>  that the isrealite society depended heavily on astronomical observations in
> order to measure their
>  times and seasons is undeniable. But why insist that this meant their
> society was superstitious
>  and believed in astrology? Are the two concepts so inseperable?

It is my understanding that prior to modern astronomy as laid by Copernicus,
Galileo and Newton, the two were very much interwoven.

>  Did navi) originally mean astronomer? Well now that's worth discussing and
> I would be interested in
>  hearing what the testimonies from the cognate languages are of the root nb)
> if anyone knows.

I suggested that xwzh and rw)h might mean astrologer, using what I consider to
be some rather faint circumstancial evidence for it.  I don't know
about nby) but
I would rather analyze each term separately.

Yitzhak Sapir